To stay competitive in today’s marketplace, consumer goods companies are reaching across the globe to seek new customers in new markets. In order to cater to these new customer segments, brand owners are now providing a dizzying array of local product variations through a complex network of outsourced manufacturing partners.

Despite the fact that the supply chain community continues to discuss the nearshoring trend, outsourcing still reigns supreme – and that’s a problem for organizations that don’t have complete visibility into their supply chain.

This holiday season consumers have a long wish list of what they want from retailers both big and small – mobile coupons, price matching, rapid site-to-store pick up, loyalty rewards, readily available merchandise, easy checkout process and more.

For fashion brand Nic & Zoe, which recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Boston’s Shops at Prudential Center, the high degree of customer personalization and engagement found online is a routine and expected part of business.

Santa may have his elves, but Amazon.com has something better to help send holiday gifts on their way: a robot army. The online giant has deployed more than 15,000 robots in 10 next-generation fulfillment centers it has opened across the United States.

Unless you are a grandstanding politician, the notion of American apparel production may feel like it was declared dead years ago. But despite this gloomy diagnosis, some types of clothing manufacturers can build compelling business theses for bringing manufacturing back home—and breathing new life into smaller corners of the domestic apparel manufacturing space.

Panasonic has unveiled a pop-up store in New York City's Union Square area featuring a collection of Panasonic's latest consumer products from the home, adventure, imaging, entertainment and beauty categories for shoppers planning their holiday gift-giving.

Every year, retailers put fresh spins on evergreen holiday décor, remixing such classics as the Christmas tree and jack-o-lanterns to tempt seasonal shoppers. Though we have yet to see this year's big trend, it's probably safe to say it will not be the Christmas Turkey or Thanksgiving Skeleton.

When Blanklabel.com launched in 2009, it set out to redefine notions of custom-tailored menswear, long the purview of the luxury market, by offering bespoke garments at affordable department store prices.

The startup took things a step further by updating the custom concept with a very 21st century, crowdsourcing twist: It offered shoppers a hand in the design of the merchandise by allowing them to pick their own details — from the cut of a shirt to the lining of a collar.

Retail organizations may not typically seek the services of a “marriage counselor,” but for retailers looking to implement innovative and disruptive technologies, global startup investor and accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center can help find the perfect partner.

Solutions Spotlight

To support consumers’ omnichannel shopping behaviors, product information, inventory availability, and customer profile and order information must be current and available throughout the enterprise to enable real-time visibility. In this white paper, you'll learn all about the new demands of a harmonized shopping experience; the new generation of network-centric information systems with access to rich information; and the perceived value of new store-level technology.

Store of the Week

Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay, a luxurious 14,000-sq.-ft. bridal shop on the top floor of the Hudson’s Bay flagship and headquarters building in Toronto, took the top prize — Store of the Year — in the Association for Retail Environments 2015 Design Award.More...